Calories, Weight Gain and Healthy Diet

According to National Academy of Sciences, pregnant women should eat approximately 300 calories more per day than they did before becoming pregnant, and gain about 25 to 35 pounds over the entire nine months. Weight gain should be at its lowest during the first trimester and steadily increase through the second and third. You should gain the most weight in your third trimester when the fetus is developing its protective fat stores. During pregnancy, your fat deposits increase by more than a third.

Experts estimate that if you gain 25 pounds during your pregnancy, it consists of the following:

• Baby: 8 pounds


• Placenta: 1 pound


• Amniotic fluid: 1.5 pounds


• Breasts: 3 pounds


• Uterus: 2.5 pounds


• Stored fat and protein, water retention, and blood volume: 8 pounds

To ensure good healthy pregnant  mom and baby, it is not just essential to take that extra calories and weight but also need to pay attention to a healthy and well-balanced diet.  I'll list it down so I would remember.  I'm telling you, it feels like the first time;)

• Iron.   The Recommended Daily Dietary Allowance (RDA) of iron for pregnant and lactating women is 27 mg a day. Good sources of iron include meat (especially liver and other organs), egg yolks, and legumes. However, the average American diet does not contain enough iron to meet these requirements, so many pregnant women are encouraged to take a daily iron supplement of 30 to 60 milligrams.  Inadequate iron levels can cause anemia, which decreases your ability to fight off infection and tolerate hemorrhaging during childbirth.


• Folic Acid. Women who consume 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) daily prior to conception and during early pregnancy reduce the risk that their baby will be born with a serious neural tube defect (a birth defect involving incomplete development of the brain and spinal cord) by up to 70 percent.  It is crucial in the development of DNA, cell growth and development, as well as tissue formation. You can get additional folate by eating more green leafy vegetables, certain fruits, and liver and other organ meats. Because folic acid is crucial to cell multiplication, the fetus's needs are met before those of the mother; therefore, pregnant women are at an increased risk of folate deficiency. Severe folate deficiency can result in a condition called megaloblastic anemia, in which the mother's heart, liver and spleen become enlarged and the life of the fetus may be threatened.


• B-Vitamins.  Pregnant women have an increased need for vitamins B6 and B12. B12 maintains healthy nerve cells and red blood cells, and is also essential for creating DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Vitamin B6 is essential for normal brain development and function, and aids in the formation of important brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. You can usually meet B6 requirements usually can be met by eating more whole grains, milk, egg yolks, and organ meats. Vitamin B12 is found in animal foods, including meat, eggs and milk products.


• Calcium.  Calcium is crucial during pregnancy for synthesis of fetal bones and teeth. It is also necessary for proper blood clotting and regulation of blood pressure, heartbeat, water balance in cells, and muscle contractions. If your diet does not supply sufficient calcium, the fetus will draw from reserves in your bones, which can cause osteopenia (a similar, but milder condition than osteoporosis). Fortunately, increased estrogen production during pregnancy facilitates calcium absorption. The U.S. RDA of calcium for adult women (pregnant or not) is 1000 mg. You can achieve this by consuming three or more servings of milk or other dairy products a day. In addition, do not take a calcium supplement at the same time as your prenatal vitamin-mineral supplement because iron inhibits the absorption of calcium.


• Protein. Protein is necessary to produce new blood cells and circulating proteins for your increased blood volume, and for the physical growth and cellular development of your baby. It is also needed to create the placenta, amniotic tissues, and maternal tissues. Pregnant women need approximately 60 grams of protein a day, or 10 grams more than non-pregnant women. This requirement can be met by eating two large eggs and 2 ounces of cheese, or a 4-ounce serving of meat. Protein is also used to produce breast milk and nourish the baby, so lactation will increase your daily requirements of protein by up to 20 grams (compared to non-lactating and non-pregnant women).


• Sodium.  Your sodium requirements increase during pregnancy; however, the sodium provided by the average diet is probably adequate for expectant mothers and consumption of additional salt is rarely warranted. Americans typically consume 4,000 to 8,000 mg of sodium each day, well above their daily needs of 2,400 mg. Excessive sodium intake does contribute to high blood pressure in some people, so women who have been advised to limit sodium before becoming pregnant should continue this practice until they discuss it with their doctors.


• Sugar. If blood sugar rises too high, the increased sugar crossing the placenta can result in an abnormally large fetus, which can complicate labor and delivery and cause additional problems for the baby after birth.  For those with history of diabetes in the family like me, you gotta watch out for this.